Fiddler in the Snow
by BinarySculpture
Summary: Naruko has been living on the streets of Konoha for her entire life, stealing and begging just to get by. On the night of the Kyuubi festival she plans on pulling off her greatest heist yet. Breaking into the Hokage's mansion to raid their fridge. Little does she know that those on high have fiendish plans for her. Mina/Kush alive, twins, abandoned Naruko
1. The Fiddler in the Snow

_The Freeze._

That's what they called it, well, what she called it, snow, that is. No one else seemed to pay any mind to the slowly descending snowflakes, dancing in the chilly breeze, only to end their performance with a finale arabesque on the ground. No, they were far too busy with the preparations for tonight's festival to notice such insignificant things, such are snowflakes. A single girl noticed their dance, out of all the souls in the village, a single little girl heard their white ribboned feet slam out their dance, but snowflakes aren't pretentious, and that single little girl was all they needed to be content. They thanked their audience, brushing up against her, tickling her face with their powdered hands eliciting a small giggle from her lips and soothing the scars on her bare arms with their touch. She wished to play for them. Help along their dance in the only way she could.

She reached to open the black violin case in her lap…

Only to recoil in fear.

' _Too many people,'_ She thought. She may have gone unnoticed in her spot huddled in the alley between a bakery and a sweet shop so far, but playing her fiddle would only attract attention. For her, attention would only mean another beating at the hands of those who hate her kind. So, making sure the cloth covering her eyes was securely in place and keeping a guiding hand on the rough brick wall next to her, she threw the case that carried the majority of her earthly possessions over her shoulder and slinked out of the alley into the sea of people.

She walked through the village, unnoticed like the snowflakes that swirled around her, always keeping a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She stepped carefully, for she knew one wrong step and she would have a spotlight shone on her and a target painted on her back. She walked towards the edge of the village, where The Wall protected them from the dangers lurking outside. She had heard stories from the older destitute as they sat around a burning fire, cooking rats and unfortunate pets for their dinner, while she lurked in the shadows, just outside of the warm reassuring light cast out in a circle around them, waiting to swoop in and take any scraps before the several other children there for that very same purpose could. They told of grand battles that took place on open fields, as thousands of Samurai stood in columns facing the opposing force. The midday sun blinding off of the armor of their leaders who rode brilliant stallions behind them, speaking words of encouragement to their men who go out to die for their cause. They told of horrific Monsters that made their dwelling in the land across the mountains, and the legions of Demons who squabble for the supremacy of their Masters. They spoke of Shinobi, with their magnificent jutsus that stand tall to protect their Kage's and village from any and all threats.

She never really listened though, her attention was always on the sizzling meat that was only begging for her to eat.

Now that the temptation of food was out of the way, she thought back on those stories as she walked to her destination, all while the snowflakes made small eddies around her. The crowd thinned, until she stood alone in front of The Wall.

She slid down The Wall and placed her violin case in front of her. Slowly, almost reverently, she undid the twine knots that secured her most prized possessions from the world. She opened the case revealing what was inside: a threadbare frog coin purse that she had been in possession of for as long as she could remember that she had lovingly named 'Gama-chan" as she softly patted his head, she could hear the soft tinkling of the money with in, there were pages of music that she had ripped from music books whenever she had been able to sneak into a music store. She had no need for them, as she had already memorized every piece she owned, but she still kept them anyways, then there was a carefully folded pile of clothes that were the best she owned. A single shirt and pair of pants that were three sizes too big for her, but they were practically as new as the day she grabbed them off of their hangers when she was chased from a clothing store, and then, a fiddle; so fine was it that a single stroke of the bow across the strings brought the Angels to tears, it's curves so beautiful it made the most alluring women green with envy and the dark mahogany it was carved from was smoother than a babies bottom. To her, at least. In reality, it was always out of tune, as two of the tuning pegs had broken off, its' curves were so-so, and the cheap pressed wood it was made of was rough to the touch. There was even a small hole in the back from where she had accidentally banged it into a brick wall. Still, it was her most prized possession and she handled it with the care that such a title brought with it. The snow swirled happily around her as she brought it to her cheek and the bow to the strings.

' _What to play, what to play… Yes, that will do just fine,'_ And with that thought, she launched into the music, and the snowflakes whirled into their dance.

As she played, she became lost in the music and the dance. The snowflakes twirled around her on the music, sending out its tinkling laughter as small breezes of wind shaped them into elaborate poses. The girl's laughter joined in with the snow's. She didn't think she had ever been this happy and at peace in the short eight years of her life.

All good things must come to an end though, and with the sharp tinkling of coins hitting the bottom of her violin case, the spell was broken. Jumping up, she curled in on herself. Desperately trying to protect her fiddle from the fists and bottles that were sure to come, as they always had before when the villagers encountered her. The beating never came though. She brought her head out from her defensive curl and was met with an empty street, her only company the waltzing snow. Looking down, she saw a small pile of coins at the bottom of the case. Crouching down, she hurriedly stowed her fiddle for safe keeping and slung the the case over her shoulder. She gave one more glance up and down the street before disappearing down an alley.

' _Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_ She thought, _' I just had to go and bring attention to myself! All of my plans for the festival would have been ruined if they attacked me.'_ Oh yes. She had plans for the night. Big plans indeed.

AN: Hello, this is a story I had floating around in my head and I just had to write it down. If you have read it all the way through I would just like to say; thanks so much for reading! More chapters in the following week.

Update 10/16/16: Cut some stuff that didn't make sense. Thanks for reading and a new chapter will be out soon!


	2. The Boy and the Beast

" _The Freeze…"_ There it was again; that voice.

"What?"

" _Do you know why they call It that, the snow, that is?_ "

"No, I don't, but I guess you're gonna' tell me?" A giggle, a tinkling of bells, was heard.

" _Silly… They call it that, because the snow is the end. It blankets everything in its grasp, suffocating the earth in its clutches until, with one last gasp, it heaves on its side in its death throes, and we are born again in Spring."_ They sat in silence for what seemed to be an eternity. He, thinking on what she said, and She waiting for an answer.

"Then wouldn't it be the beginning as well, snow, that is?"

" _What?_ "

"Yeah, snow isn't just the end, it's the beginning as well. Blanketing the earth in its pure white, doing what is needed by suffocating the earth, stifling the old so that the new may spring up in its absence, so that nature does not stagnate in its complacency." Another giggle, this time the gurgling of a brook, was heard.

" _I knew it! You really are silly."_

"Hey!" Laughter, sudden and warm as a summer gale, was heard. "...Who are you?" The laughter stopped, "This isn't the first time we've talked is it? I can remember other times, barely, we've done this before." He could feel her eyes on him, staring at him strangely. Her gaze felt alien to him, yet, familiar as well.

" _What we hold could be called the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega._ " She giggled in her cleverness.

"But, that isn't your name." Another silence.

" _Find me,_ " she said suddenly, desperately, " _Find me before the one wishes to make us whole again cuts my belly and stains the altar red with my blood, if he gazes upon my eyes, it will be too late, for he will know me for the demon that I am. Please, promise me, that you will find me before he does._ "

"But, I don't know what you look like! I don't even know your name! How will I know where to find you?"

" _... You will know it is me…_ "

"But how?"

" _You just will! Now, will you promise to find me?_ "

"I promise." There was no hesitation in his answer. He would do all he could to save the one he was sure meant something much more to him.

" _Pinky promise?_ " A hand emerged from the infinite whiteness surrounding him, pinky finger delicately splayed forward.

"Pinky promise." He took her pinky in his own, his calloused finger wrapping around hers.

" _Silly little Menma,"_ her finger tightened around his, turning red hot as it branded his flesh, " _If you make a deal with a demon,_ " A single blood red eye opened in front of him and gazed into his, " **You will burn in Hell with its' company.** "

Menma jolted awake, scrambling out of his bed to flip on his light switch. He could still feel the heat from her finger, still feel her eye boring into his own, still hear the bloodcurdling growl that was her voice. He let out a breath of relief, there was no brand on his skin, no mark to signify the deal he was tricked into making with the girl.

Breathing easier, he flipped off his light and made his way back to bed, walking around his lamp to get back in bed. He was such a little kid! Getting all worked up over a silly little nightmare. As he snuggled deeper into his comforter though, he couldn't help but remember her plea,

" _Find me._ " How was he supposed to find her? He was a seven, no, make that eight, year old kid! He couldn't find his way to the bathroom down that hall at night half the time, so how was he supposed to find a single girl? There were million of peo-

"Wait a minute…" He thought, "I don't own a lamp in my room!"

Jolting up in his bed for the second time that night, he witnessed the lamp in the middle of his room poof away to reveal two masked, cloaked figures. Seeing that they were spotted, they pounced on Menma, one securing his arms, the other his legs with rope so he couldn't struggle, while also placing tape on his mouth so he couldn't yell for help. Seeing their mission accomplished, they leaned down next to his face, their smiling porcelain masks looking ghoulish in the dim darkness of his room. They took in air, and said two words…

AN: Hello guys, sorry for the short chapter (five hundred words shorter than the last one) but I couldn't sleep 'cause I'm too nervous about the AP test scores I'm getting tomorrow, so I just decided to write out a transition from the last chapter into the next. Even though it's short, I really like the way that it turned out. Do you think you know what the figures said? Tell me what you think in the reviews!

I'm really amazed at the response that my first chapter got! Eighty six hits, seventy visitors, eight follows, three favorites and one review! That is absolutely insane! Before yesterday, the only people who had ever read any of my stories were my parents (who are biased), and my English teachers (even they didn't really like them (creative writing my 'arse)). I would just like to thank all of the people who read my first chapter from the bottom of my heart! Please stick around for the next chapter!


	3. Happy Birthday

_They took in air, and said two words…_

"Happy birthday!" Suddenly the masks were gone, revealing the smiling faces of a man and a woman. His parents.

" _...Happy… Birthday..._ " That certainly wasn't what Menma had been expecting to hear after he was suddenly assaulted and bound by two masked figures. They must have noticed his wide eyed stare, as his mother leaned forward with concern etched on her face,

"Hey, what's wrong, Menma? You look like someone who thought he was going to be kidnapped by two foreign shinobi and dragged off to who-knows-where, while his two loving and adoring parents slept on, none the wiser, just two doors down the hall."

His mother, Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze ( **I think that's right** ), was a stunning woman, she had waist length vibrant red hair that framed a rounded face and violet eyes that showed only the utmost love and compassion for those close to her, but turned as hard as steel on the battlefield. She was relatively short, something that she frequently complained about. His father put a hand on her shoulder,

"Because that's exactly what he thought, Kushina. I told you this entire thing was a bad idea! Look, we scared him half to death," They both glanced down to see their son, who had transitioned from bewilderment to trying to wiggle out of his restraints, "Well… Maybe not scared, but I still don't know how I let you talk me into doing this one."

His father, Minato Namikaze, cut an imposing figure, standing taller than most with a broad chested figure. He had shockingly yellow hair that stood up in spikes with two bangs framing his face. His cerulean eyes showing two parts amusement, one part exasperation, "All right son, let's get you outta' these ropes, but first…" Menma paused in his struggling when he heard this, only to begin again, this time with even greater fervor when he saw what his father had in mind. He didn't like the mischievous smile that spread across his father's face, and he certainly didn't like it when he slowly started to reach towards the tape covering his mouth.

"Mhm! Mhhhm!" His father's smile only grew when he saw Menma's baby blue eyes staring up at him, begging him not to do what he was about to.

"Oh come on Menma. Don't be a baby," Minato teased Menma, "The quicker I do it, the quicker we all get to have breakfast," With that, he swiftly reached down and ripped the tape covering Menma's mouth,

"Ow!" Menma screeched, causing his parents to wince, "What the heck are you guys doing, Dont you think you took this a wee' bit too far for a stupid 'ninja birthday'!?" A 'ninja birthday' was what his parents lovingly took to calling scaring the bejesus outta' him on all seven, make that eight, of his birthdays. It started innocently enough for the first few years, pouncing on him and having a 'tickle torture' session until he nearly peed himself and quickly devolved from there.

When Menma first learned how to harness his chakra just before his seventh birthday, they had spread rat traps all over the floor of his bedroom and had watched, bemused, as they gave him a crash course on wall walking; his parents always believed that the risk of bodily harm motivated one to learn something at an accelerated pace. This ninja birthday blew last year's right out of the water, but if they were going as far as staging his kidnapping they were obviously running out of ideas to escalate the situation (it was this time next year, as Menma tried washed pancake batter out of places he didn't know pancake batter could get in, he decided that his parents would never run out of ideas and that he would never underestimate his parents again).

"Oh dont be like that Menma," Kushina said as she quickly unbound Menma and pulled her resisting son into a hug, giggling when he settled on a sullen pout when he realised he couldn't get away from her embrace, "You know we would never do anything that would hurt you, right?" Menma nodded. Though he was still angry at them, Menma knew that his parents would never do anything to harm him in any way, "And you know that we love you, oh so very very much?" She wrapped her arms tighter around him and he nodded again. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that his parents loved him, though they had strange ways of showing it. He felt his father wrap his arms around him and his mother and pulled them both into his lap.

"Then you know that everything we do is to make you a better person, as well as a better ninja." His father finished. Menma looked up from where he had been staring a hole into the floor into the smiling faces of his parents and couldn't help but smile himself. Sure his parents training methods were harsh, he would have the scars to prove it if it weren't for the Kyuubi, and though they did act illogical from time to time, they were still his parents and he wouldn't trade them for the world.

"I know, and you know I love you too, you're my parents after all! But could we tone it down a bit, it is my birthday after all." He said as he gave them an exasperated look, while they had the decency to look sheepish,

"Weeeell," Kushina said, drawing out the out the word, "I guess you can skip your training today, but only today since it's your birthday! We don't want you to end up lazy like your friend Shikamaru, do we mister?" Kushina asked as she poked him in the ribs, eliciting a giggle,

"No, I guess we don't Mom," he said with a smile as he burrowed himself deeper into his parents embrace. They sat like that a for a while longer, just enjoying each other's company, Menma with a broad smile on his face and his eyes closed, his parents each wore a smaller more tentative smile, but none the less loving, until a loud rumble from all three of their stomachs reminded them that they had yet to eat breakfast,

"Alright," Minato said, as they disentangled themselves from the hug, "Why dont you get changed out of your pyjamas while your mother and I head downstairs to start breakfast, that sound like a plan to you?" He asked as he and Kushina moved to the door

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Menma responded with a mock salute from his position standing on the bed as his parents both chuckled and closed the door behind them.

Once the door shut with a click Menma dropped his hand from his salute and collapsed on his messy bed, trying to remember the nightmare from that night. Try as he might though he couldn't remember a single detail of the dream, other than the final terror he had upon jolting awake. He had been having trouble with nightmares recently, and though he could remember nothing about each of them he knew they were nightmares from the sheer terror he felt when he awoke from each one. The thought to tell his parents about them crossed his mind, but was quickly stomped out. Running to your parents about a stupid nightmare was something that babies did, and he was eight years old! Certainly not a dumb baby.

Still though, he felt unease settle in the pit of his stomach when he thought back on them. Not being able to remember them only made the unease grow into a sizeable knot, he quickly sat up and tried not to dwell on them,

" _Come on! It's your birthday, Menma. No reason to be all gloomy about stupid stuff like that when you have your party and the festival to look forward to tonight!_ " Menma thought. He quickly threw himself off his bed and got ready for the day. He stood in front of the mirror on his dresser and struck a pose with his hands on his hips. He took in his attire, his blood red hair styled in the same way as his father, a simple dark green t-shirt and matching khakis with dark blue sandals completing the ensemble, "Alright Menma," he spoke aloud, "Today is the day your life changes!" He pumped a fist in the air and gave a grin, striding confidently out of the room and into the second story hall that contained the bedrooms, his parents' bedroom at the far end alone, while his bedroom and another were grouped at the other end.

Menma turned to the other door and softly walked to stand in front of it. He stood for a while, almost as if frozen in place, but then slowly raised his hand to tenderly rest on the unblemished silver doorknob. He stood even longer, his fingers running gentle patterns over the doorknob, until he seemingly steeled himself and, almost reverentially, nudged the simple door open just enough for him to poke his head in.

Inside was what appeared to be a nursery for a little girl, the walls painted a pastel pink, with untouched stuffed animals gathering layers of dust in the equally dusty crib. In fact, the entire room was covered in a choking layer of dust that turned what was once a bright room meant to nurture the beginnings of life into a cruel disgusting mockery, sucking the color out of the walls and dampening the sound until the room reminded Menma of the graveyard they occasionally visited the Sandaimes grave in.

The only things not covered in the lifeless dust were where the door swept across the floor and a singular line of foot prints leading up to a rocking chair. The footprints he knew belonged to his mother from where she would sometimes walk to the rocking chair, disturbing nothing else, and sit until she cried herself to exhaustion. Slowly, carefully putting his footprints where his mother already tread, he made his way to the center of the room, silently formulating the words to say.

"Um, hey, I don't know if you can hear this," Menma began, looking up at the ceiling, his words sounding strange to his ears as the room seemed to absorb all the sound, "I know I never knew you very well, 'cause you died when we were both just babies, but Mom always says you're watching down from Heaven when she could talk about you, and I'm really sorry I haven't tried to talk to you until now, but Mom and Dad don't want me to come in here…" He trailed off, unsure what he wanted to say,

"I-I guess, I just wanted to say thank you for watching over Mom when she was really sad and stayed in bed for a long time, and thank you for watching over Dad when he started drinking, and thank you for watching over me while I was growing up," while others may doubt this, Menma truly believed that his little sister, him older by two minutes, was watching over him. When he was in his bedroom under his bed with the door locked, bawling while Mom and Dad fought, and screamed bad words at each other, and the sounds of shattering plates that Mom threw at Dad reached his room and he cried louder, and then when Mom couldn't take it anymore and threatened to leave Dad and take Menma with her so he couldn't kill him like he killed their daughter; he really believed his beautiful little sister-he knew she was beautiful, there were no pictures of her, but he knew she was-was watching and made their family all better,

"Were doing a lot better now, thanks to you," He paused again, "I'm joining the ninja academy today, well registration and introduction are today, I really begin tomorrow, but you know what I mean, and I'm going to get really strong so that I can protect Mom and Dad just like you've been doing for a long time already, but just because you got a head start on protecting them doesn't mean I won't be able to do it just as good as you, believe it!" He gave a grin and struck a pose with a hand on his hip and a thumb up straight out in front of him. After a couple of seconds of holding the pose he looked to the ground and started again, "I really wish you were here though, to be with me, Mom, and Dad, but I hope you're really happy up there in Heaven." The sound of his mother reached him from downstairs, sounding strangely distorted by the room,

"Menma! What's taking so long? Your breakfast is going to get cold!"

"Nothing, Mom! I'm heading down now!" Menma yelled back.

He carefully made his way back to the door and poked his head in just before he shut it, "Happy Birthday, Naruko." With that he silently closed the door and made his way downstairs, after a few steps though, he knew he felt a small puff of wind playfully ruffle his hair.

 **AN: Hey guys! Long time no see! I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I wish I could say life got in the way, but it really didn't, I'm just lazy. I know what I want to do with this story; I just don't know how to get there, if you know what I mean! OMG this chapter was 2139 words long! That's the longest thing I have ever written outside of school (yay for seventy page long research papers), and I couldn't be happier with the way it's turning out. One of the main problems it took so long was 'cause I couldn't get the dialogue right (This is my first time actually writing dialogue, scary ain't it? 0.0) so sorry if this chapter reads a bit awkward.**

 **I just wanted to take this time to thank all of the people who have favorited, followed and especially thank:**

 **Talimonae379**

 **LordIbtou**

 **ShanaFox15**

 **CharitysSongbird**

 **All of who reviewed/offered advice on my story. I humbly thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart! I still can't believe I got 687 views on my story, kinda scary, but in a good way! Kinda' like a roller coaster without seatbelts.**

 **Now, to clear up some confusion that came about from the last chapter. I have an entirely original concept for the seal and what's going to happen with it. Kyuubi is going to be an evil character totally, so think of those dreams as the Kyuubi 'testing' the seal so to speak if that helps at all ;)**

 **Love it? Hate it? Wanna chat? Tell me in a review! I love to hear feedback from people and your constant validation is the only thing that keeps me writing! (JK)**


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